On May 21, 2025, the second expert session of the BRICS Nuclear Platform took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under the title “Prospects for the Development of Financing Instruments for Nuclear Energy Projects.” The event was held on the sidelines of the NT2E exhibition and continued the initiative to deepen interstate cooperation in the nuclear field, supported at the leadership level by both Brazil and Russia.
Participants included representatives from Rosatom, CNNC (China), ABDAN and Diamante Geração Energia (both from Brazil), NPPD (Iran), ABEN (Bolivia), ESKOM and NECSA (both from South Africa). The key focus of the session was on developing financial instruments to support nuclear projects in BRICS and partner countries.
Participants highlighted the growing interest from international development banks and national financial institutions in long-term investments aimed at achieving climate and social goals.
Elsie Pule of South Africa, Chief Coordinator of the BRICS Nuclear Platform, emphasized: “In the current global context, the issue of financing takes on particular importance. Last year, the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD presented a report on the current state of nuclear technologies, identifying financing – along with supply chain readiness and skilled labor availability – as one of the main obstacles to the successful implementation of nuclear energy projects. The development of financing tools for nuclear technologies is a key issue for countries planning to integrate nuclear power into their energy mix.”
A representative of Rosatom stressed the importance of designing structured transactions with a phased approach, using different financial instruments at each stage of project implementation. “Once the main project risks are mitigated in the early years of implementation, infrastructure loans with a payback period of 15 years or more – including those from development banks – should play a key role. Overall, the nuclear industry expects growing interest from the financial sector in nuclear projects, driven by the increasing prioritization of ‘energy transition’ initiatives, which include nuclear power and especially promising technologies such as SMRs,” stated Stanislav Shpakovsky, Rosatom’s representative.
The BRICS Nuclear Platform was created to strengthen corporate-level cooperation in promoting nuclear power as a source of clean electricity. In 2024, two high-level meetings were held, with participation from companies, organizations, and government agencies from nine countries. A non-binding declaration supporting the creation of the Platform was signed by nine participants representing companies and government entities from BRICS member and partner states: Rosatom (Russia), CNNC (China), NECSA and Eskom (South Africa), NPPD (Iran), ABDAN (Brazil), ABEN (Bolivia), Ministry of Innovation and Technology (Ethiopia), NPPA (Egypt). Throughout 2025, the Platform plans to organize expert-level events at major nuclear industry venues. Rosatom actively participates in the Platform’s initiatives, contributing to the formation of equitable nuclear partnerships and the advancement of sustainable energy solutions.
The NT2E-2025 Forum, organized by the Brazilian Association for the Development of Nuclear Activities (ABDAN), is taking place from May 20 to 22 at the ExpoMAG exhibition center in Rio de Janeiro. The program includes dozens of panel sessions, technical discussions, and business meetings covering key areas in nuclear energy development – from uranium mining and SMRs to youth engagement. Special emphasis this year is placed on the issue of sustainable financing for nuclear projects. On the sidelines of the Forum, the BRICS Nuclear Platform hosted a dedicated expert session on financing nuclear projects. Participants included representatives from government bodies, and companies from BRICS and partner countries.
